Chimney repair and sweep in Summit

Summit sits on a ridge, at about 374 feet, and its name may come from the summit of the Short Hills. The railroad arrived in 1837, resort hotels followed, and by the late 1800s farmland was giving way to large estates and architect-designed houses. A 1909 report counted at least 40 houses under construction at once. Today 33.3 percent of Summit's homes predate 1940, and the median house was built in 1953.

Those houses tend to be large, with tall chimneys that rise well above the roofline and carry several flues. Exposed chimneys take more wind and driving rain, and on old brick that shows up first in the crown, the mortar and the flashing. About 81 percent of Summit homes heat with gas and 6 percent with oil. We start every job with a free inspection, photos and a written price.

Tall chimneys on large older houses

On a three-story house, most chimney work happens high on a steep roof, often slate or tile, and that affects both safety and price. The common findings are loose top courses, cracked crowns, and flashing that has failed where the chimney meets the roof. Typical ranges are $1,000 to $3,500 to rebuild the top few courses, $600 to $2,200 for a crown and $300 to $1,800 for flashing. A full rebuild above the roofline runs $5,000 to $15,000 or more, which is why catching problems early matters.

Summit's Historic Preservation Commission works with the city's Design and Preservation Guidelines and reviews zoning variance applications, and downtown has a historic district. If your house is a designated landmark, check with the city before changing how a chimney looks.

Oil, gas and wood in the same house

Many older Summit houses have one flue for a gas or oil boiler and others for fireplaces in the living room, library or bedrooms. Each needs its own check. When the boiler is replaced, or the house moves from oil to gas, New Jersey requires a chimney verification on form F-370, and the homeowner can't sign it. An oil flue is usually cleaned of soot and often relined for the new unit. A furnace or water-heater liner typically costs $625 to $2,250.

For fireplaces that are used every winter, we clean, check the damper and the smoke chamber, and look for cracked flue tiles. Damper repairs typically run $150 to $450.

Where we work in Summit

Downtown Summit · Brantwood Park · Tall Oaks · Kent Place Boulevard · Hobart Avenue · Beekman Road · Springfield Avenue · Broad Street